Improvement in car-axles



H. WATKEYS. Gar-Axle.

'Patented April s, 1879.

MTNESSES /NVENTOR ML f UNITED STATES i?.i'1"n1\r.rA OFF-Ion..

HENRY wx'rxnvs, or sYRAoUsE, NEW Yonx.

IMPROVEMENT lN-CARFAxLEs.

Specilication forming part of- Letters Patent No. 214,069, dated April 8, 11579;4 application lezl February 4, 1879.

.Teelt whom 'it may concern.- i

B'e -it known that I, HENRY WATKEYS, of the cityof Syracuse, in the county of Ononda'ga, in the State of Newv York, ,have invented new' and useful vImprovements in Oar- .Axles, of which the following, taken in con-- .'nection with thc accompanying drawings, is ai full, clear, and exactdescription..

This invention relates to car-axles havingtlieir wheels arranged to revolve independent of. their respective fellow wheels; and it con` sists essentially inthe hereinafter-described novelmeans of automatically depriving the said wheels of. the capability of independent rotation when traversing straight tracks, and

releasing the same whentraversing curves.

It also consists in improved means of se curing to the axle a sleeve fitted loose thereon; and it furthermore consists in a novel con: struction and combination, with a sleeve fitted loose to an axle, of lon gitudinal hollow ribs on thev bodyof the sleeve, whereby the same is re-enforced and provided with a combined reservoir and distributer of 'the lubricant, all

. axle A. This sleeve I braceagainst inward thrust by an abrupt abutting. shoulder rigidly secured `to the axle A at the rear end of the sleeve, and allow it partial outward movement,

which I limit by male and female tapering or conical bearings connected respectively with the two wheel-bearing members A and s', and arranged at such angles .relative -to the line of the axlethat when either of thev said members is forced inwarl the said bearings separate and release each other.

By means of a spring or sp1-in gs, e, arranged to act against the rear end of the sleeve, the

4latter is forced toward the end of the axle, thereby forcing one tapering bearing within` the other, and by the friction of the same preventing the wheel from rotating on the axle. This result can be produced'byV various arrangements of the said bearings, as is demonstrated in Figs.` 41, 2, 3, and 4 of the drawings. In Figs. 1 and 2 the axle is provided at the rear end4 of the sleeve with a conical enlargement or rearwardy-tapering collar, c, and the sleeve is made to embrace the said collar by a correspondinglyltapered extension,- k, which may either consist of a separate piece bolted ontoV 'the end of the sleeve proper, as shown in Fig.

i1,or cast on a sleeve formed of longitudinal sections', asillustrated in Figs. 1, 6, and 7 of 'the drawings. The rear end of: the sleeve proper is provided with recesses, in which are placed springs e, exerting theirresilience against the abrupt end of the tapering collar c and the end ofthe sleeve proper, `and thus forcing the sleeve toward the end of the axle. This outward movementof the sleeve is limited bythe tapering bearings at the rear. '.lhe angle of. the taper of said bearings is such as to produce suilicient adhesion of their contiguous surfaces to prevent the sleeve from revolving on the axle, and thus deprive the wheel of its findependent rotary motion, andcause it tov be carried over ordinary obstructions on a straight track by theA momentum of, the two wheels combined. In its passage around curvesthe pressure of the outer rail against the iian'ge of either wheel produces a strain; to 'wardthe center of the axle, and the friction of .the ilange of the wheel against the rail exceeding'that of the tapering bearings causes the latter to separate and automatically release the sleeve'from its circumferential confinement. The wheels'being thus allowed to revolve .independent of each other the inequality of the lengths ofthe two sides of the ,curve is overcome without the vstrain incident to axles with xed wheels. The sameA result .is produced by forming the tapering bearings of aiiaring enlargement of the rear end of the sleeve s and a. orrespondinglytapered forward extension, d,.of the rear collant, embracing the enlarged -end of thesl'eeve, as shown'in Figs. 3 and 4.of the drawings. This collar is composed of two or more longitudinal sections clamped to each other and tothe axle by bolts passing through lugs on the exterior of the sections,as best seen in Fig. 10 of the drawings, or by other suitable means,

arm;

and is further secured against lateral displacement by an enlargement, n, of the axle fitted to a corresponding recess, m, in the collar. The springs e are arranged in recesses in the collar, and act against the end of the sleeve as in the tirstdescribed construction. In every case the requisite play is allowed between the adjacent ends of the sleeve and shoulder of the rigid collar to produce the release of the tapering bearin gs when subjected to excessive lateral strain, as before described.

In order to render thc springs easy of access for repairs or renewal, the collar t is divided transversely at the end of the sleeve, as shown in Figs. i and 4 ot the drawings, the parts being rmly secured to each other by bolts, as shown in Fig. 5 ofthe drawings. To facilitate the fitting of the tapering bearings and reduce the cost of construction, and at the same time enhance the durability of the saine, I provide the interior of the extension d ot' the collar t with a cavity, r, and after applying it to the sleeve I ll the cavity willi melted Babbitt or other suitable metal.

By means of set-screws u, inserted through the rear end of the collar and actin g upon the end of the spring e, the tension of the latteris adjusted. As a means of additional security against excessive outward strain of the wheel, I provide the extension d ot' the collar t with one or more internal circumferential grooves, h, and the sleeve s with a corresponding numberof externaltlanges, i, engaging the grooves h, which construction is applicable to sleeves .ou car-axles generally. lf deemed expedient, an additional friction-clutch may be arranged at the outer end of the axle., as shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings, by providing the axle thereat with a rearward-tapering collar, c', similar to that shown at the rear end ot' the sleeve in Figs. 1 and 2, and providing the outer end of the sleeve' with a correspondingly-tiaring internal enlargement.

f is a circumferential cavity in an enlargement'of the center of the sleeve, and from the said enlargement toward opposite ends of the sleeve are extended longitudinal hollow ribs l '1, which brace the sleeve, and at the same time form reservoirs and distributcrs of the lubricant.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, with a caraxle composed of separate wheel-bearing members, ot' a coupling loosely connecting the said members one to the other, with a lateral play between them, and having at the shoulder which restrains the outward movement of said meinbers a friction-clutch arranged to circumferentially contne the same, and a spring or springs arranged to force the wheel-bearing members to their extreme outer position, substantially as sct forth.

2. The combination, with a car-axle, of two wheels mounted on separate axial supports, a coupling loosely connecting said supports one to the other, with a lateral play between them; and restraining their outward movement by male and female tapering or conical bearings or shoulders connected with the axial wheelsupports and their coupling, and a spring or springs arranged to force the axial wheel-supports toward opposite ends of the axle, al constructed and arranged to automatically confine the wheels circumferentially one to the other when traversing straight tracks, substantially as set forth and described.

3. The combination, with a car-axle having its wheels arranged to revolve independent of each other, of a friction-clutch actuated by a spring or springs, and arranged to automatically confine the wheels circnmferentially one to the other when traversing strai ht tracks, and release the same when traversing curves, substantially as specified.

4. The combination of the axle A, provided with a tapering collar, and the sleeve s, fitted to the taper ot said collar, and maintained thereon by a spring or springs, substantially in the manner described, for the purpose set orth.

5. The combination of the sleeve .9, having at the rear end the iiaring enlargement, and the collar t, secured to the axle, and having the tapered forward extension, d, embracing the enlarged end of the sleeve, substantially as de scribed and shown.

6. The combination, with the sleeve s, provided with the enlarged end, of the collar t, composed of longitudinal sections secured to each other and to the axle, substantially in the manner described.

7. The combination, with the sleeve s, provided with the Haring enlarged end, of the collar t, having the extension d tted to the end of the sleeve, and being divided transversely and provided at the shoulder adjacent thereto with recesses for the springs e, substantially as described and shown.

8. The combination of the sleeve s, provided with the circumferential ianges i, and the col lar t, rigidly attached to the axle, and having the forward extension, d, provided with internal grooves, h, engaging the ilanges of the sleeve, substantially as described and shown, for the purpose set forth.

9. The sleeve s, re-enforced and provided with combined reservoirs and distributors ot the lubricant by the longitudinal hollow ribsl lon the body of the sleeve, substantially as described and shown.

10. The combination, with the sleeve s, applied to the axle in the manner described, of the spring e and adjusting-screw u, as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two attesting witnesses this 3d day of February, 1879.

HENRY WATKEYS.

Witnesses:

C. BENDrxEN, A. Woon. 

